Beautification and Photography Awards

At the 26th annual Keep Montgomery County Beautiful (KMCB) community beautification awards ceremony, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) announced 56 winners, honored 17 amateur photographers, and presented two Clean Sweep Awards for the Adopt A Road program and two Grey Tolson Awards from the Forestry Board.

The beautification competition is open to community groups, businesses, public institutions and other organizations undertaking landscaping projects that enhance the appearance of commonly owned commercial or residential properties or County roadsides, medians, or other public locations.

More than twenty years ago, concerned volunteers formed the Keep Montgomery County Beautiful Task Force (KMCB) to work with the County to develop beautification projects and anti-litter and recycling programs. The group also conducts public education to change citizen attitudes about littering and graffiti.

Business and organization sponsors of the annual ceremony included the Bethesda Urban Partnership, Bethesda Florist, Graffiti Abatement, Inc., and Penn Camera – Rockville.

Winners of the KMCB community beautification awards: KMCB awards that are labeled NEW are recently established projects begun between Fall 2011 and Spring 2012. Awards that are labeled environmental are projects that contribute to environmental sustainability, such as planned wildlife habitats, conservation plantings or rainscapes.

CITYSCAPE for municipal street plantings in median strips, near traffic ramps and next to sidewalks:

Award of Excellence: Mattie Stepanek Park Peace Garden, City of Rockville

Award of Excellence: Viers Mill Road Landscape Enhancements, City of Rockville, New

Award of Distinction: East Rockville Greenway, City of Rockville

Award of Excellence: Park Road and S. Stonestreet Land Enhancements, City of Rockville

Award of Excellence: Pump House at Croyden Park, City of Rockville, Environmental

Award of Excellence: The Ponds at Fallsgrove, City of Rockville

Award of Excellence: Wheaton Triangle Conservation Garden, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, Wheaton

COMMUNITY NON-PROFESSIONAL for community plantings maintained by residents through homeowner associations, garden clubs or civic associations:

Award of Distinction: Kemp Mill Estates Entranceway, Kemp Mill Civic Association, Silver Spring

Award of Excellence: Huntington Terrace Citizens Association Triangle Garden, Bethesda,

Environmental

Award of Merit: American Elm Park, Friends of Sligo Creek, Silver Spring

Award of Excellence: Hancock Avenue Rain Garden, Hancock Avenue Rain Garden Committee, Takoma Park

COMMUNITY PROFESSIONAL for community landscaping projects designed and maintained by professional landscape architects or contractors:

Award of Excellence: The Blairs, The Brickman Group, Silver Spring

Award of Excellence: Bonifant Homeowners Association, Custom Cuts Lawn & Landscape, Silver Spring

Award of Excellence: Grosvenor Park Grosvenor Park Maintenance Trust Association Monument, Lancaster Landscapes, Rockville

Award of Excellence: Kensington Park Retirement Community, The Brickman Group, Kensington

Award of Excellence: Leisure World Cascade, McFall & Berry Landscape, Silver Spring

Award of Excellence: Leisure World Globe, McFall & Berry Landscape, Silver Spring

Award of Excellence: Potomac Falls Entranceways, Fine Earth Landscape, Inc., Potomac

Award of Distinction: Bethesda Overlook Townhouse Condominium, Potts Consulting and Greenlink, Inc., Bethesda, New

Award of Excellence: Clarksburg Village Roundabout, Hughes Landscaping, Clarksburg, Environmental/New

Award of Excellence: The Vistas Homeowners Association Stormwater Management Area, The Brickman Group, Boyds

COMMERCIAL/RETAIL for outdoor projects at facilities such as shopping malls, restaurants, retail businesses, gas stations, etc.:

Award of Distinction: Gaithersburg Washingtonian Marriott, The Brickman Group, Gaithersburg

Award of Excellence: Bethesda Row, Ruppert Landscaping, Bethesda

Award of Excellence: National Auto Body, Rockville

Award of Excellence: United Therapeutics, Ruppert Landscaping, Silver Spring, New

Award of Merit: Twinbrook Sunoco, Rockville

Award of Distinction: Maryland Soccerplex, Fine Earth Landscape, Inc. Boyds

Award of Excellence: Lobsang Executive Shell, Rockville, Environmental

Award of Excellence: Tower Oaks, The Brickman Group, Rockville

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONAL for outdoor projects at schools, government buildings, hospitals, churches or libraries:

Award of Distinction: Davis Library, Bethesda Community Garden Club, Bethesda

Award of Excellence: Aspen Hill Library Gardens, Aspen Hill Garden Club, Aspen Hill

Award of Excellence: The Jewish Community Center, Ruppert Landscaping, Rockville

Award of Excellence: Master Gardeners Demonstration Gardens, Derwood Agricultural Farm Park, Derwood

Award of Excellence: Master Gardeners Farmers Triangle Demonstration Garden, Montgomery County Fairgrounds, Gaithersburg

Award of Excellence: Master Gardeners Heritage Garden, Montgomery County Fairgrounds, Gaithersburg

Award of Excellence: Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, Rosetta Landscape Management, Olney

Award of Excellence: Viers Mill Baptist Church, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, Rockville, Environmental/anew

Award of Excellence: St. James Episcopal Church Vestry Gardens, American Plant Landscape Division, Rockville, Environmental

Award of Excellence: Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy, American Plant Landscape, Rockville

Award of Excellence: Eastern Middle School Rain Garden, Students & Friends of Sligo Creek, Silver Spring

Award of Excellence: Montgomery General Hospital Thrift Shop Butterfly Garden, Seedling Garden Club, Olney

Award of Excellence: Pinecrest Elementary School Rain Garden, Woodmoor Green Team, Girl Scout Troop 1549, Silver Spring, Environmental

YOUTH for outdoor projects by an individual or group who are younger than 19 years old. Adult supervision is permitted, but the majority of a project must be completed by youth:

Award of Distinction: Rockville High School (RHS) Conservation Landscape, RHS Horticulture and Science Class Students, Rockville

SUSTAINED MAINTENANCE for previous triple award winners of the Award of Excellence: First Year/ Commercial/Retail: Hughes Network, The Brickman Group, Germantown

First Year/ Cityscape: Rockville Town Square, Ruppert Landscaping, Rockville

First Year/ Commercial/Retail: Silver Spring Metro Plaza, Ruppert Landscaping, Silver Spring

Second Year/ Community Non-Professional: Cambridge Walk II Homeowners Association, Rockville

Second Year/ Community Professional: Capital Gateway, Ruppert Landscape, Bethesda

Second Year/ Community Professional: Maplewood Park Place, Valleycrest Landscape, Bethesda

Second Year/ Community Professional: Potomac Crest Homeowners Association, The Brickman Group, Potomac

Second Year/ Community Non-Professional: Rockshire Entranceway, Rockshire Garden Club, Rockville

Second Year/ Commercial/Retail: Washingtonian Center, The Brickman Group, Gaithersburg

Third Year/ Commercial/Retail: Human Genome Sciences, Ruppert Landscape, Bethesda

Third Year/ Community Non-Professional: Kenwood Pocket Park, Kenwood Garden Club, Chevy Chase

Third Year/ Public-Institutional: St. Luke’s Episcopal Church Labyrinth, Bethesda

THE GOLDEN TROWEL AWARD – Final Year/Fifth Year/ Community Professional: The Carleton Condominium, Valleycrest Landscape, Bethesda

Photography contest winners: For the 20th Annual Amateur Photography Contest, photos were judged on effective composition, originality, technique, interest and relevance of the subject matter. The winners are listed below:

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, BY DAY – Any photo taken outdoors in Montgomery County that depicts something fun, beautiful or exciting during daytime hours.
First: “Fields of Gold” Lori Ducharme, Gaithersburg
Second: “Black Hill Fishing Dock” Cynthia Hunter, Montgomery Village, Gaithersburg
Third: “Sunflower-After Life” Patricia Benjamin, Gaithersburg

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, BY NIGHT – Any photo taken outdoors in Montgomery County that depicts something fun, beautiful or exciting during nighttime.

First: “Out For a Spin” Larry Dean, Damascus

Second: “Big 17” Howard Clark, Montgomery Village, Gaithersburg

Third: “Carnival Lightning” Elizabeth Koller, Silver Spring

MONTGOMERY COUNTY LANDMARKS – Any photo taken outdoors in Montgomery County of a natural or manmade commonly recognized landmark or scene.

First: “Overlook Panorama” Keegan Barber, Rockville

Second: “Forgotten Memories” Mamqalika Pereira, Rockville

Third: “Seneca Schoolhouse” Linda Joy, Gaithersburg

MONTGOMERY COUNTY HER PEOPLE – Any photo taken of one or more people involved in County activities, close-up or distant, showing leisure activity, productivity or community service.

First: “Father/Son Early Spring Hike” Gloria Machlis Heyman, Montgomery Village, Gaithersburg

Second: “Great Falls, Maryland” Donald Bandler, Bethesda

Third: “Hooray for the USA” Fred Shapiro, Silver Spring

MONTGOMERY COUNTY AT WORK – Any photo taken of one or more people at work, contributing to the livability and splendor of the County.

First: “Yellow + Blue = Green” Judith MacArthur, Rockville

Second: “The Stylist for Tree” De Hou Yang, Wheaton

MONTGOMERY COUNTY YOUTH – For those who are younger than 19 years of age and wish to compete against others their age.

First: “Helpless & Hungry But Still Together” Tatiana Harris, Gaithersburg

Second: “The First Sign of Summer” Bethany Pereira, Rockville

Third: “Montgomery County Salutes Amercia” Anna Meleney, Rockville

ADOPT-A-ROAD CLEAN SWEEP AWARDS – for fiscal year 2012 (July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012) that recognizes volunteer efforts to remove litter from County roadways.

Award of Excellence for Most Cleanings Reported – Colesville Lions Club, represented by Emory Patton. This group cleaned their road, the extension of Norbeck Road from Norwood Road to New Hampshire Avenue, nearly every day except when prohibited by weather. The group has been with the program for nine years.

Award of Excellence for Most Trash Collected: Izaak Walton League of America Wildlife Achievement Chapter, represented by Meo Curtis. This group has adopted Mullinix Mill Road, between Route 108 and the Howard County Line. In FY12 they collected 132 bags of trash – about 350 gallons of trash — plus many recyclable items, hub caps and tires, household remodeling materials, sofas, propane gas containers, partially filled cans of paint and a wedding dress. They have been with the program for over 15 years.

THE GREYDON TOLSON FORESTRY STEWARDSHIP AWARDS. The Greydon Tolson award honors his lifetime of service to forestry in Montgomery County and to the Montgomery County Forestry Board. The award recognizes individuals or organizations that have demonstrated a significant commitment to advancing the science, education, technology, or practice of Forestry. This year’s winners are Carole Bergmann, resident of Clarksburg and employed by Montgomery Parks, Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission, and Linda Pepe, resident of Barnesville.